Thursday, January 25, 2007

It's fun! Of course, it's not for everyone, but then, neither is Madonna nor the Red Hot Chili Peppers, NBA basketball nor Batman. But once most young couples and boyfriends/girlfriends try it, they come back. Why? Because it's fun. You probably know people who have vacationed at nude beaches, who skinny-dip in their backyard pool or who lounge around the house nude. Why not?

It's healthy! Besides improved self-esteem, the sun relieves stress, provides you with Vitamin D, a tan with SPF 4 protection and helps clear acne. Naturists don't overdo their time in the sun; they tan safely with a sunscreen.

It feels good! You know how gross those jeans and bra straps feel on a hot sticky day? Or that wet swimsuit when you come out of the water! No more! Trade it in for the feeling of wind on your back and the sun on your body! Cool!

Self-esteem! You'll feel great about yourself! Nudity helps you become more open and accept yourself for whom you are, not whether you measure up to the supermodels you see in ads. Welcome to a place that does not measure value as a human being by body size! It makes you a stronger, more confident person.

Be yourself! You can express your individuality! Everyone accepts you as you are, whether you have a disability, are overweight, dyed your hair purple, or have a great tattoo that your friends hate. People are attracted by your personality! Everybody's different, and that is respected!

So much to do! Volleyball, swimming, basketball, suntanning, golf, tennis, and all sorts of other activities. There is just about anything you'd do at any campground or beach. Only more.

You are in full control. You decide when you arrive and leave. You decide what to do when you are there! Just like if you went to the beach. But better! If it's your first visit, you decide when or even if you want to disrobe! It's normal to feel apprehensive on your first visit, but since you're in control, you have nothing to lose by checking it out!

You can be you! It's so refreshing to be someplace where nudity is not sex, unlike ads, movies or TV. You don't have to look like an actor or actress from Baywatch! Nobody's staring to see if you have a great body or if you're overweight or too thin! Nobody is checking you out at all! It doesn't matter if your belly button is an inny or an outy! It's OK!

No sex! Everyone in a nudist park is having an orgy? NOT! That is Myth # 1! (People who think nudity is about sex find it a lot more convenient to go to strip bars. Besides, the naturist resort owners don't let those people in anyways.) Lewd behaviour is NOT allowed. Ever!

Safety. You're in a no-jerks zone! People treat you the way you want to be treated. Problems are taken care of right away, especially for women, so they don't feel vulnerable. You won't run into problems like at public beaches where people stare at bathing suits, giving their imaginations free reign.

Popularity and confidentiality! You'll be part of the group! Already, thousands of Canadians are nudists. But nudism is totally confidential, so nobody knows. Naturist parks are in discreet, strictly private areas, well back from roads. Those who go accept newcomers' anonymity. All naturists respect confidentiality. The only people who know you enjoy nudism are those you tell. And if you meet someone at a resort you know, don't worry about it. They're there for the same reasons as you, to have fun.

Skinny-dipping! All those University of British Columbia students can't be wrong! You've heard about all those great topless and nude beaches elsewhere in the world, Europe, the Caribbean, Florida. But North America's second-largest nude beach is Vancouver's Wreck Beach, just at the base of a cliff on the edge of the University of British Columbia. On a hot summer day you'll find 12,000 nude people (UBC students wouldn't cut class, would they?)! There are smaller nude beaches in every province in Canada.

It doesn't cost a lot! You don't put out the big bucks for a fun time.

For most of human history, nudity was a natural and normal part of life. People were nude when environment and conditions favoured it.

The "bathing suit" is a very recent invention dating back only about a century. It is only with the advent of scientific advancement and industrialization that humans began to be ashamed of their bodies.

As we began to replace the natural world with manufactured goods, we grew to see all that was not man-made as imperfect. The human body became an object of shame to be hidden and shaped by clothing.

Naturism began as a self-help reform movement in reaction to the debilitating aspects of industrialization and urbanization during the nineteenth century. At a time when medicine could neither explain nor cure disease, many people believed that crowded and unsanitary cities, tenement housing, restrictive victorian clothing, and oppressive working conditions all led to poor health and rampant illness. Some observers concluded that what people needed was exposure to the natural healing elements or fresh air, sunlight, and water--preferably with loose or absent clothing. An informal coalition of natural lifestyle reform movements took shape during the late nineteenth century, combining clothing reform, vegetarianism, abstinence from alcohol and tobacco, and naturopathy. Inevitably some pioneers suggested that nudity must be an integral part of lifestyle reform. Nudism found expression in several books written in Germany at the end of the century by Heinrich Pudor and Richard Ungewitter, and the idea received cultural support when the first modern Olympic Games in Athens drew attention to classical nudity.

From theory it was a short step to practice. Experimental clubs opened in Germany, and later in France and England as places where individuals could practice their natural lifestyle without outside interference (as long as they stayed on private property). Since the early clubs were experiments in natural living, they imposed the full natural regimen on all guests: nudity rain or shine, abstinence, vegetarianism, and mandatory callisthenics. Many guests decided that the practice was not as attractive as the theory, but while some of them deserted the cause completely, others noticed that the social nudity had a positive psychological effect which they all appreciated. When people removed their cultural body armor they felt freer and less stressed than during their everyday lives. People were who they were, not what they pretended to be behind their textile uniforms, jewelry, and makeup. This relaxed social ambiance became the hallmark of twentieth century social nudism.

Several other trends hastened the transition from naturism to nudism. The youth generation at the turn of the century embraced the great outdoors, and went off hiking and canoeing around the countryside--often nude, and often in mixed groups. Western society underwent a sort of sexual liberation at this time, and relaxed many of its moral standards. The First World War had a similar effect. As a result nudism was poised for rapid growth during the 1920s, especially in Germany, where tens of thousands of people romped in clubs, free beaches, and city parks and swimming pools. But other countries experience nudism too, including the Sparta Club in France and Spielplatz in England. National magazines were well established also Health & Efficiency in Britain, Vivre d'Abord in France. In 1931 representatives from the various clubs and societies gathered in Germany to form an international nudist organization. But the depression years were not the best time to start new ventures, and this early experiment came to an end. Yet the pioneers had established nudism on a sound footing, and it would revive and flourish in Europe after the next war.

Nudism in North America followed the European pattern. Bernarr Macfadden, an early pioneer of health reform, promoted natural living in his Physical Culture magazine and at his Physical Culture City, as did William Call in his Common Sense Clubs. But the first true nudist club was formed in New York State by Kurt Barthel and a handful of german immigrants. Their Sky Farm Club became home to the early International Nudist Conference, which attracted Ilsley "Uncle Danny" Boone, who seized control, reorganized the American Sunbathing Association, and launched Sunshine & Health. Other clubs soon appeared in nearby states, the Midwest, and California. When ASA members rebelled against his one-man show, he left to form the National Nudist Council.

The purpose of naturism is to promote wholesomeness and stability of the human body, mind, and spirit. These come most easily to those who shed the psychological and social encumbrance of clothing, to see and respect the human body as created.

Naturism also promotes optimal health through complete contact of the body with the natural elements. It is practiced as much as possible in environments free of the pollution and stress of modern society. It is therefore associated with an enlightened, holistic approach to nutrition, physical activity, mental health, and social interaction.

Naturism is founded on family participation. Children in naturist families learn to appreciate the body as part of their natural environment. They grow up with healthful attitudes and accept the physical nature of both sexes and all ages without fear or shame.

Nude living thus removes barriers to communication between people and fosters appreciation of the environment. It leads to healthier and more humane living: richer, simpler, and enlightened by joy and freedom.

Most of the people who visit a naturist club/beach for the first time are surprised by the lack of sexuality. Some expect a sexually charged atmosphere, since in North America, we see others nude in sexual situations such as love scenes in movies, in magazines and in videos.

However, the link between nudity and sexuality is arbitrary. In Victorian times, to see a woman's knees was very sexual because they were supposed to be hidden all the time. We expose some parts of our bodies which are as sexual as those which we hide. Our lips, for example, are probably as involved in sexuality as our genital areas. Yet people walk around exposing their lips without causing mass arousal.

You will probably find that suggestively clothed people are more arousing than completely nude people. It can be more sexual to wear a bathing suit which subtly hides and emphasizes certain parts of the body.

That nudity implies sexuality is the biggest misconception that naturists have to fight. As a result, you may find them to be over-sensitive to it. This is not to say that naturists are against sexuality. They just believe, like most of society, that there is an appropriate time and place for it. It also means that there is nothing wrong with finding a person attractive, whether he or she is nude or not.

Depending on whom you ask, there could be no difference. In Europe, the term naturist is the most common, with nudist being the older term.

In North America, some people use the two words interchangeably. Others define two different philosophies which have nudity in common. Those who find a difference define naturists as closer to nature and more interested in free beaches, and nudists as people who practice nudity more in an urban club setting.

Not all people who practice naturism/nudism like the labels. They don't see themselves as different from anyone else. As well, not all nude people at a free beach or club espouse the naturist/nudist philosophy.

Many naturists would answer, "Why not be nude?" Why would you wear clothing while swimming? You don't wear clothing in the bath or shower.

Naturists are not against clothing. Rather, we believe that you should dress only when appropriate.

Being nude feels good. It makes people feel free. It takes away artificial inhibitions that were forced upon us after we were born. Naturists believe in body acceptance. Most report feeling less self-conscious on a nude beach than on a traditional clothed beach.

The body parts which we cover are arbitrary. It has been suggested that we cover the genital area because of its sexual nature. However, a quick survey of your day would show that that area is used for non-sexual purposes the most of the time. In fact, an equally sexual body part is your lips. Yet we do not have any problems walking around with our lips exposed!

So who is a nudist? A nudist is someone with a broad outlook of life,extremely confident,ready to have fun and lead a colonial life.Naturists believe that if weather, location and laws permit, activities such as sports, swimming, hiking and relaxing in a social environment can be enjoyed without the necessity of wearing clothing.

"Naturism is not the exploitation of nakedness, exhibitionism, a religion, or a cult...Naturists accept and admire the beauty of the human body as it is, regardless of age, gender or form."

Our society opposes nudity and would like it to die out.There is the element of shame people feel about going nude and this is applicable to all religions and all countries.Some feel that nudity, when practiced within a family, is a form of child sexual abuse. Many people feel awkward when a woman breast-feeds her infant in public. Topless women can be arrested in most of North America, even though the practice is generally accepted on European beaches.

About Me

I am a happy go lucky guy with big dreams and a burning ambition to be very successful.I have wonderful loving parents and have had lived a well sheltered life.Now that I have ventured out of my home and stay alone,I am discovering what life is like in this big bad world of love,hate,jealousy,bitching,crime,goodness,etc.I have loads of interests which I do try to enjoy.I love being with people and always seek new good real and true friends.I absolutely hate irresponsible,back biting,lieing and dishonest people.I am good at heart and that is what makes me special.